Setting our new science-based target

After reaching two of our 2020 environmental goals early, Accenture worked with key stakeholders to define the next chapter of our environmental journey. In December 2018, we announced our new Science-Based Target, approved by the Science-Based Targets Initiative, to reduce our absolute greenhouse gas emissions 11 percent by 2025 against our 2016 baseline. To date, we are the largest professional services company to make this type of commitment.

To meet our target, we will work to develop responsible solutions for further sustainable growth and intensify our focus on the efficiency of our business operations. These efforts include reducing our energy use and switching to renewable forms of power, as well as addressing air travel impact and supply chain sustainability.

Fostering our commitment

Accountability for our environmental strategy starts at the top and cascades to the governance bodies that oversee our environmental policy and corporate objective of fostering environmentally sustainable growth.

Reducing our environmental impact is ingrained in our Code of Business Ethics and our core values, specifically Stewardship. These ethics and values inform our Environmental Responsibility Policy, which our Environment Steering Group established in 2007 and reviews annually.

Reducing our carbon footprint

Since beginning our environmental journey in 2007, we have been reducing our emissions and focusing on environmentally responsible growth. In fact, we have cut our per-employee emissions in half during a ten-year period. Our efforts have helped us avoid more than 857,000 tons of CO2, save more than 1.57 million megawatt hours of electricity and generate more than $207 million in energy savings.

As we look toward the future and aim to further reduce our overall emissions 11 percent by 2025, we’re working to increase our purchases of renewable energy and to engage with our suppliers to help us reduce emissions from travel and other purchased good and services.

Supporting client sustainability

We have partnered with H&M Foundation and KTH Royal Institute of Technology since 2014 on the Global Change Award, an annual competition to find groundbreaking ideas to disrupt the fashion industry from a sustainability standpoint.

Enabling supplier sustainability

We are educating our suppliers on the benefits of sustainability—and increasing the number that monitor, measure and communicate their environmental impact.

Since 2010, we have invited a select group of suppliers to respond to CDP’s Supply Chain self-assessment questionnaire each year. Over the years, Accenture has significantly increased the number of suppliers we ask to participate in CDP’s reporting program. In 2018, 81 percent of our suppliers participated, well above CDP’s global average of 68 percent.

More about corporate citizenship

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